Hazard Awareness and Defensive Driving
Scanning and planning
Defensive driving is a cycle: scan far ahead, identify hazards, predict what could happen, decide, and act early. Look well beyond the vehicle in front, use mirrors frequently, and check blind spots before changing position. Plan for the space you will need, because a loaded heavy vehicle cannot create space quickly.
Reading the road
Candidates must recognise hazard clues: parked cars with occupants, junctions hidden by walls, children near a ball, brake lights several vehicles ahead, wet patches, loose gravel, strong crosswinds, and the low sun that hides pedestrians. On descents, select a lower gear before the steep section rather than braking continuously. In tunnels and under bridges, expect changed light and grip.
Interaction with other traffic
Assume other drivers may not judge your size or speed. Signal early, brake progressively so following traffic sees your intention, and avoid sudden lane changes. When being overtaken, hold a steady line and speed.
Traps
Questions often reward the earliest safe action. Waiting until a hazard is close is the classic wrong answer, as is choosing to brake hard when a gentle early reduction would do. Another trap is a hazard hidden behind a legal manoeuvre, such as overtaking on a clear straight that ends in a blind crest.
Rule of thumb
If you can see a hazard developing, act now and gently; if you cannot see, slow until you can.
Worked example
Approaching a blind bend on a narrow road, you see a lorry partly in your lane. Correct: reduce speed early, be ready to stop, and do not commit to passing until the road ahead is visible.